If you are considering becoming a surrogate, one of the most critical choices you will make is choosing the right surrogacy agency for you. You need to find an agency that makes you feel like you are important, valued, and taken care of at all times. You will be on a journey with this agency for a long time and they need to have your best interests in mind at all times.

Currently looking for a California surrogacy agency? Consider these to be red flags:

You Don’t Feel Welcomed

Make sure that you pay attention to how the agency makes you feel during every conversation. They should be eager to answer every question that you have – no matter how silly. You are nervous and you have a right to support from an experienced agency. If they answer even your silliest questions in a dismissive tone or blatantly ignore questions, you don’t want to work with them.

Think about it: if you have questions when you are pregnant, even a slight tone could send you into hysterics and you do not need that pressure.

They Can’t Prove Their Experience

Of course you absolutely want to do some research on your own when you are first starting to pick a surrogacy agency. Still, you want to save some questions for when you actually meet them. Any questions that you don’t get a complete answer to should be asked repeatedly until you get them – after all, this is your safety at risk.

Make sure to ask questions about:

  • How long has this agency been in business?
  • How many clients do you currently have?
  • How many surrogates do you currently have?
  • How many egg donors do you currently have?
  • What are the screening processes like?
  • How am I matched with intended parents?
  • Do you have support systems in place?
  • How many successful pregnancies have you handled?

It is important to ask these questions confidently as any surrogacy agency should be able to answer them conclusively. In the end, it is okay to go with your gut; if you get a bad feeling, you should move onto another agency.

You Aren’t Allowed Contact With Previous Surrogates

One of the best ways to encourage one person to be a surrogate is to have them talk to another person who has been a surrogate. If you want to learn what it is like, then you should ask to speak with an experienced surrogate who can answer your questions about surrogacy and about the agency.

At the very least, an agency should provide you with the opportunity to read case studies, listen to interviews, or watch videos of on past surrogates.

If you can’t find anything out about the agency, you might be able to get reviews by Googling them and adding “reviews” to the search bar. You will easily be able to find online reviews, message boards, and direct feedback.

Their Requirements Seem Wrong – Or They Are Missing

When looking through different surrogacy agencies, you might notice that the requirements are all similar and fairly straightforward – there are physical, emotional, lifestyle, and financial requirements with each one. However, if you see one agency with requirements that seem overly lax or there aren’t any requirements at all, you might want to avoid that agency altogether. They might just have a bad website, or they might be untrustworthy.

You Can’t Get Any Information About Surrogacy Compensation

While seeming too eager to know the compensation you will receive for being a surrogate might raise some red flags on behalf of the agency, you should be able to get an answer about payment when you are meeting with the agency. You will also want to ask questions about medical expenses, travel, lost work, maternity clothing, and other things that you might need to have during your pregnancy. You should be able to compare these options when you are choosing what surrogacy agency you want to work with for the future.

The best surrogacy agency for you is one that makes you feel welcomed, accepted, and protected at all times. Do not hesitate to ask questions and get all of the answers that you need.

If you are looking for additional information on becoming a gestational surrogate, please contact us at SPS today!